Fishing lures seldom wear out. They are most commonly lost when they accidentally become snagged on a submerged rock or tree stump. Although the lure body may become wedged in the obstruction, it is more likely that the fishing hooks attached to the body will penetrate or become caught in it. In that case, if the fishing line were strong enough, the fisherman operating the lure could retrieve it simply by pulling on the fishing line until the hook bent and the lure was freed. Fishing line typically used today by sports fishermen is far too low in tensile strength to bend the hooks, so unless the lure can be freed by gentle pulling from another direction or by jiggling, it will have to be abandoned in a watery grave.
There have been numerous attempts throughout the years to develop a practical means to retrieve snagged fishing lures, but most such devices have failed commercially either because they were too expensive in relation to the cost of a lure or because they simply did not work well. Also, because of certain design deficiencies, some earlier retrievers that functioned satisfactorily with one type of lure would not work with others.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide for a fishing lure retriever which can be used effectively to recover all common types of fishing lures.
It is another object of this invention to provide for a fishing lure retriever which can be manufactured and sold for a reasonable cost in relation to the cost of a typical fishing lure.
It is another object of this invention to provide for a fishing lure retriever having a unique arrangement of staggered trap hooks of varying lengths which will have a higher probability of securely engaging a snagged lure than previously known retrievers.
It is a further object of this invention to provide for a fishing lure retriever having a unique system of opposing guideways for securely but slideably engaging a fishing line attached to the lure, which system has no moving or projecting parts subject to damage or wear, and requires minimal effort for a fisherman to operate.
A yet further object of this invention is to provide for a fishing lure retriever which because of its relatively simple design and construction is very durable and useful in both fresh and salt water.